At first sight Khichan looks like any small Rajasthani village. But if you were to walk around, you’d see hundreds of stately black-and-grey demoiselle cranes flying over the village and foraging in its fields. and if you were to come to Khichan at the crack of dawn, you’d find the sky obscured by thousands of these birds, as they wing their way to specially-constructed enclosures in the village. These birds, which migrate every winter from Central Asia, have been congregating in the village for as long as the villagers can remember. They come to this area attracted by the vast open scrublands around the village. The villagers lay out grain for the birds twice a day (500kg everyday!) – and protect the birds from any disturbance. The birds are part of every aspect of village life, including their harvest songs.